Amazing Recovery

A kitesurfing accident last fall left Conner Kempe's body broken, but the Benjamin QB's spirit stayed intact as he worked his way back.

August 23, 2007|By Stacy Hicklin Staff Writer

Each day that Tami Kempe watches her 17-year-old son leave the house, she can't resist pulling him just a bit closer for a few extra seconds as she hugs him goodbye.

She knows that Conner is off to The Benjamin School to lead the football team ... and that he's OK now.

Nearly nine months ago, Kempe was given last rites after sustaining severe head and body injuries in a kitesurfing accident at the beach.

"Conner realizes how fortunate he was and that it wasn't his time to go yet," Tami said. "He still has work to do here."

The physical pain has disappeared. The scars above his left eye and in the middle of his forehead are fading, but still visible.

The senior quarterback is back on the football field, feeling stronger than ever. But emotionally, the horror of that day is not behind him.

Worst nightmare

Three days after Thanksgiving, Tami received the phone call. It was one of Kempe's friends, saying: "Conner was in an accident. He's really hurt. A Trauma Hawk is coming."

Kempe's mother and father, Joe, raced to St. Mary's Medical Center.

After taking Kempe off the helicopter and entrusting him to hospital personnel, the medics knelt to pray on the landing pad. They told friends they had never seen a young person go through something so traumatic.

Earlier in the day, Conner and Joe had returned home from a visit to Duke University. With the wind blowing, Conner left around 12:30 p.m. to go kitesurfing with two friends.

He was 100 yards out in the water when a strong gust took hold of him. He ditched his board as he tried to gain control of his kite and put it into neutral. Just as he was grasping the safety harness, the gust intensified.

Kempe remembers very little from that point. Witnesses say he was pulled through two metal fences, into a concrete pump cover, over a pole and into the back of a car. Finally, he landed on a curb.

"A lot of people think I should have been dead that day," Kempe said.

A priest greeted Joe and Tami at the hospital, saying he had given their son last rites. Doctors weren't sure if Kempe would live, and if he did, whether he would have brain damage or paralysis.

Kempe's appearance was so rough that when his younger brother Colby, 13, first saw him in the hospital, he left the room and fainted in the hallway. His two sisters - Kirby, 16, and Kylie, 7 - couldn't keep tears from streaming down their faces.

The Recovery

For eight months, a small gold cross given to him by his grandparents never left Kempe's neck. He wore it through physical therapy, to bed and even in the shower. Now he takes it off only for football practice.

"I see the cross and it makes me remember [what I went through]," Kempe said. "It's my reassurance that there is a God up there watching out for me."

Doctors, friends and family are still amazed that Kempe had little permanent damage. He broke his left ankle, fractured his right kneecap, had small facial fractures and had nearly 200 stitches or staples put into his face and head.

Initially, the recovery process was slow. He was in the hospital for three weeks. Seven weeks after the accident, the cast was removed from his leg and the wheelchair put away. Next came walking. He missed more than a month of school.

Kempe lost nearly 30 pounds, but spent February and March rebuilding his strength and endurance. Kempe, 6 feet 3 and 215 pounds, says he feels stronger.

Today, however, Kempe looks exactly like the star quarterback who led Palm Beach County in passing last fall with 1,806 yards and eight touchdowns. More than 42 colleges evaluated him during spring practice.

"I did not recognize my quarterback when I saw him that first time in the hospital," Benjamin coach Ron Ream said. "It's just a miracle to see him now."

Moving on

An album sitting in the living room contains pictures of Kempe immediately after the accident, along with newspaper clippings describing the day. The family rarely looks through the album. It's not necessary. The memories of that time are clear enough.

Little things have changed for Kempe. He values family dinners a bit more. Church is more important than ever. Spending time with those he cares about is one of his biggest concerns.

His parents say he is more responsible now. Gone are the days of pushing curfew and disappearing with friends.

Kempe hasn't gone kitesurfing yet, but spends time at the beach. Someday he would like to try the sport again, but for now the benefit doesn't outweigh the risk.

As time goes on, Kempe has flashes when he can remember more from the accident. He knows that day will always be a part of him, but he doesn't want it to define him.